Ship-protector.



H. 1. CHARLES.

SHIP PROTECTOR.

APPLICATIONFILEDSEPLS.1915. RENEWED APR-28.1916.

l l 85,983. Patented June 6, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- H. J. CHARLES.

SHIP IROTECTOR. APPL'lcAroN FILED sans. 1915. nENiwED APB. 2s. 191e.'

Patented June 6, 1916.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEToE.`

HORACE JAMES CHARLES, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, ASSIG'NOR, BY DIREC'I AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF THREE-TENTHS TO THOMAS E. HAMPTON, OF JACKSON- VILLE, FLORIDA, AND THREE-TENTHS T0 DANIEL W. SHEA, 0F TAMPA, FLORIDA.

' SHIP-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6,V 1916.

Application led September B, 1915, Serial No. 49,576. Renewed April 28, 191. Serial No. 94,240.

able others skilled in the art to which it ap' pertains to make'and use the same.

My inventionrelates to improved means for protecting vessels' from the attacks of automobile torpedoes, and it is intended to be applied either to men-of-war, or merchantmen, and more especially to merchantmen.

According to my invention I hinge, well below the water line, either to the bilge of the ship, or to the main or one of the bilge keels, a series of plates which may benormally drawn up against the side' of the ship, but which, when the ship is in the danger zone, may be lowered into the water at such an angle-that the torpedo striking the same will be deflected downward, and' will dive underithe keel of the ship, vandppass free of the body of the vesselwithout entering the same. 'By having the angles of the plates when lowered sufficiently great, say

60, the blunt nose ofthe torpedo will strike thlelplate .without permitting the firing pin to St e at all; Vthe result being-that t e nose l. of the torpedois tilted ldownward and the vtorpedo passes beneath the ship without ex- -plodin These metal platesy need not neces-- vsarily heavy at all, but need only be of sncient thickness to withstand the ordinary usage and to stand `the glancing blow ofthe automobile torpedo.

My invention will be uhderstood by reference toV -the .accompanying drawings, in

Fi elevationof a ship itted with the' improved torpedo protective device; Fig.`2 is a plan viewof the same ship, showing the torpedo protective' device in 'full lines in the raised ingpart of the apparatus on a larger spele,

-a plan view showing engagin gore 1 shows diagrammatically a side*` parts being sho/wn in section and parts broken away; Fig. l shows a part ofthe protectivescreen detached, as seen from thev side next the hull of the ship; and Fig. 5 is aA modification, in whlch the plates are held outboard by rigid bars or beams.

A represents the body of lthe ship, and connected thereto, at any ,convenient place,

either at thebilge as shown, or at one of the bilgekeels, is a longtudnal rod B, secured to the ship vin any convenient way as by the eye-bolts a.- Hinged on this -rod B are a series of metal plates C which are secured to the rod in any convenient way, as by the beads o. The outer surface of these plates vshould be made and kept as smooth as practicable, and in the wake of port holes or bulls-eyes of the ship the plates may be cut away and shutters provided t0 cl'ose the `openings so made, but these details are omitted for the sake of clearness in the drawings. The upper ends of these plates C are Y connected to a similar rod D in any conven- -ries of bars E hinged eccentri'cally, as at e,

and .having the short armengaging a stop F on vone adjacent plate and the long arm a stop F on the other adjacent plate. y having these bars E pivoted eccentrically, as shown, the longer ends may be swung upward and may be conveniently manipulated, and then allowed vto swing down -into the, locking position-sh`own in Fig. 4.

The series' of plates may be raised orlovv'-A I `ered by means of chains G, leading over guides I-I provided on the ship: and connected to the Winches I. These chains are connected at their lower endsv to the-rod D, connected to the upper ,ends of the plates C. 'While I have shown two such Winches, it will be obvious that there may be any 4convenient number, depending Ion theA length and Weight of the system of plates.

' To thel upper portion of the platesI may provide floats J, vof any suitablev construe. tion, such as cylindricalhollow metal bodies, which are securedto tliero'd D im any coni ently.

venient way, as by meansof the straps These floats tend to take the weight off the chains G, but may be omitted if desired.

In Fig. 5 I have shown an arrangement of brace bars M connected to the plates and y holding them rigidly spaced away from'the side of the-ship. These may be used supplemental to, or in place of the chainv arrangement shown in Fig. 3,

The operation of the device is as follows z-In ordinary running the plates would be hauled up to the position shown in Fig. 3, or in full lines to the position shown in Fig. 2, then when nearing the danger zone the plates maybe lowered to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and should be retained in this position until the danger Zone has been passed. An automobile torpedo striking one of these plates would have its nose deflected downward, and would pass beneath the bottom of the ship without striking the.

same. .If the angle of the plates is sufficiently great, the firing pin of the torpedo will not strike the plate at all, being screened by the rounded nose 'of the torpedo, and the torpedo will not explode, but even should it explode on striking one of these.

explosions to be effective should be ver-yv close aboard, and that explosionsin the water at a short distance from the ship cause very little, if any, injury to the ship.

If desi-red, for-convenience or' manipulation the plates may be arranged in a series of minor groups, eachoperated independ- It will ordinarily be sufficient to protect themain body of the ship, leaving the bow and stern exposed, and this main body of the ship is substantially straight fore and aft, so that lthe straight rods B and D may be used with a straight line of plates connected thereto; but it will be obvious that curved rods and a curved series of additional plates may be applied to the bow and stern if desired, which may be lowered tothe operative position, or raised to the cruising position as may be desired.

It will be obvious that various other modications might be made in the herein described apparatus, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which could be used wit-hout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A protection for vessels against torpedoes, comprising a series of plates'hinged to the'bilge of the vessel below the water line, with chains for holding said plates against the side of the ship in the cruising masses position, and means for lowering said plates against the side of the ship and for easing the same down through a suliicient angle to 'deflect the nose of. an automobile torpedo, substantially as described. l

3. The combination with the body of a vessel, of a longitudinal .rod secured thereto .substantially at the bilge of the vessel, a

'series of plates hinged to said rod, a second rod secured to the top of said plates, and

means attached to said second rodffor swinging said plates to the raised or loweredposition, substantially as described.

4. A protection for vessels against torpedoes, comprising a series of plates hinged to the body of the vessel below the water line, a series of floats secured above said plates, with means for holding said plates against the side of the ship in the cruising position, and for lowering said plates and holding them in the lowered position whereby the nose of an impinging automobile torpedo is deflected downward, substan- 4 tially as described.

5. The combinationwith a vessel, of a longitudinal rod secured 'thereto below the water line, a seriesA of plates hinged to said rod, a series of floats secured above said plates, and-means for drawing said ,plates against the side of the ship and for easing the same down through a suflicient angle y'to deflect the nose-of an automobile torpedo,

substantially as described.

6. The combination withA the body of a vessel, ott longitudinal rod secured thereto at or near the bottom` or" the vessel, a series of plates hinged to said rod, a second rod secured to the top of said plates, a series' of floats secured to said second rod, and means attached to said second rod for swinging said plates to the raised or lowered position, substantially as described.

7. A protection for vessels against torpedoes, comprising a series of plates hinged to the body of the vessel below the water line, with means for holding said plates against the side of the ship in the cruisingposition, i

ian

ist

' secured to the top of said plates, and means vessel, of a longitudinal' rod secured thereto at or near the bottom of the vessel, a series of plates hinged to said rod, a second rod attached to` said second rod for swinging said plates to the raised or lowered osition, with a brace bar hinged eccentrical y to one of said plates, and having its arms engaging y stops on the adjoining plates, substantially as described.

10. A protection forvessels against torpedoes, comprising a series of plates hinged to vthe body of the vessel below the'water line, a series of floats secured above said plates, with means for holding said plates against the side of the ship in the cruising position, and for I Qwering said plates and holding themin the lowered position whereby the nose of an impinging automobile torpedo is deflected downward, with a brace bar hinged eccentrically to one of. said plates, and having its arms engaging stops on the adjoining plates, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a vessel, of a longitudinal rod secured thereto below the water line, a series of plates hinged to said rod, a series of floats secured above said plates, and means for drawing said plates against the side of the ship and for easing the 'same down through a sufficient angle to deflect the nose of an automobile torpedo, with a-brace bar hinged eccentrically to one of said plates, and having its arms engaging stops on the adjoining plates, substantially as described.

12. The combination with the body of a vessel, of a longitudinal rod secured thereto at or near the bottom of the vessel, a series of plates hinged to said rod, a second rod secured to the top of said plates, a series of floats secured to said second rod, and means attached to said second rod for swinging said plates to the raised or lowered position, with a brace bar hinged eccentrically to one of said plates, and having its arms engaging stops on the adjoining plates, substantially as-described.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature.

HORACE JAMES CHARLES.

opbs'ol patent my be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot-Patents.

' Washington, D. C. 

